The spin state and charge density of metal atoms of enzymes and proteins of biological and medical importance can be studied by x-ray K shell absorption and fluorescence emission at the transitions characteristic of the state of the metal atom. The extended edge fluorescence gives interference effects that may be interpreted as a radial distribution of neighboring atoms in the first and second shells, with distances measuring accuracies of better than tenths of an angstrom. The measuring and sample monitoring instrument for edge absorption and extended edge fine structure is to be updated and improved with biophysical analytical instrumentation appropriate to the increased signal to noise ratio, decreased radiation exposure and more precise evaluation of the biochemical integrity of the samples before and after irradiation.